3rd May 2023
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A Manchester based software-as-a-service (SaaS) company has increased its global footprint as a provider of gym management software after securing a significant investment in 2020 from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) and Maven Equity Finance, which is managed by Maven and part of NPIF.
With European and Asia Pacific contracts already secured with one of the world’s largest fitness franchisors, Membr used the equity investment from NPIF – Maven Equity Finance to meet a new business opportunity with the same company in Japan. With Japan being one of the only countries in the world not to close its gyms during the global pandemic, Membr secured a contract to provide over 1,000 of its gyms with its management software.
The investment was also used to make Membr’s platform more robust, feature rich, and available to use in any language. The sustained growth and continual improvement of its software infrastructure to deliver more contracts to gyms across the world also led it to grow its headcount over four years, rising from 40 employees in 2019 to 56 in 2023.
Founded by Jack Malin, CEO of Membr, in 2010, the business was initially launched to help personal trainers manage their clients, payments, and fitness programmes all in one place. With the help of angel investors back in 2014, Membr pivoted to become a cloud based SaaS platform that enabled gym owners, and companies running multiple gyms sites, to manage all of its day-to-day operations in one place. Now, with the help of the NPIF – Maven investment, Membr partners with gyms in over 20 countries with offices in Manchester, Tokyo, and Florida.
The business now has plans to further expand its footprint, and launch in up to six new countries by 2025. Its next office opening is set to be in Canada.
Jack Malin, CEO and founder of Membr, said: “Our success has been down to our resilience during a tough, Covid affected period which adversely impacted our industry. Despite difficult times, we’ve created a world-leading product which takes the stress away from gym owners, leaving them to get on with the day-to-day activities most important to them. Our extraordinary international footprint is testament to the quality of our software and the investment from NPIF – Maven played an important role in expanding our reach.”
James Rosthorn, Investment Director at Maven, stated: “Throughout our investment period, we have witnessed the business grow its revenues significantly. Despite operating in over 20 countries, it’s worth noting that the majority of the team is based in the North West. This serves as a testament to the region’s rich talent pool and the team’s commitment to achieving success. We are proud to have supported them on their journey, and we look forward to continued growth and success in the future.”
Keira Shepperson at British Business Bank, commented: “Membr is a great example of a Northern business that has become a major global player in the gym-management software market and we’re pleased to have played a role in helping it get to where it is now. We know how competitive this industry can be so it is testament to Jack and his team for developing an intuitive product that can de adopted globally. As gyms closed in almost all countries, it is a real feat that Membr has come out the other side so successfully and we look forward to seeing it grow its presence across new markets.”
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.
Maven Capital Partners UK LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Firm Reference Number 495929.
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